Say Anything
Say Anything is an American alternative]]-indie band with punk rock and emo influences from Los Angeles, California, fronted by singer-songwriter Max Bemis. The band formed in 2000 with Bemis and four of his friends. Within two years, they self-released two EPs, Junior Varsity and In Your Dreams, and the full-length Baseball: An Album by Sayanything. In 2003, the band signed with their first label, Doghouse Records. A year later, they released ...Is a Real Boy. To support the album, they picked up new members and began touring; however, despite rapidly growing critical and fan acclaim, Bemis' health problems, including bipolar disorder and drug addictions, sidelined the band in 2005 as five band members left during the year. Say Anything signed with J Records in 2005 and, following Bemis' successful rehabilitation, released ...Is a Real Boy on J Records. They went on co-headlining tours with Saves the Day in 2006 and Hellogoodbye in 2007. On October 23, 2007, the band released their third full-length album, In Defense of the Genre. In 2008, Say Anything went on a headlining tour across the US and UK and appeared on every date of Warped Tour. Their fourth album, entitled Say Anything, was released on November 3, 2009. Forte, Deejay (April 25th, 2009), "Rose Rock goes WoodStock 2009", Max Bemis: Live in Albany, New York. Currently, Say Anything consists of Max Bemis (vocals), Coby Linder (drums), Kenny Vasoli (bass guitar), Jake Turner |Jake Turner (guitar, vocals), Jeff Turner (guitar, vocals), and Parker Case (keyboard, vocals). History Early years (2000–2002) Max Bemis attended Windward School along with Michael Levin and Evan Rapper. He also attended Camp Ramah in Ojai, California where he met drummer Coby Linder, who attended Shalhevet High School. Upset after a bad breakup, Bemis began writing songs; his first one was called "Sappy". In 2000, Bemis, Linder, Levin, Span, and Josh Eichenstein, a friend from Beverly Hills High School, formed a band under the name Sayanything, in reference to the movie Say Anything....Interview with Max Bemis Bemis, Linder, , and Span recorded the band's first EP Junior Varsity. Span then left the band, and the three remaining members recorded their debut full-length album Baseball: An Album By Sayanything in 2001. Both albums were self-released with only a few hundred copies distributed.Say Anything biography According to Bemis, the last time he played the songs from Baseball was during his high school days, but he has said that he "will play them again at some point in some capacity."Interview with Max Bemis In 2002, Levin left the band, leaving only Linder and Bemis.Archive.org: SayAnythingMusic.com Bemis enrolled at Sarah Lawrence College, seemingly putting the band on hiatus. However, Bemis devoted much time at the school to recording songs by himself on a four-track recorder in his dorm room. These songs would later become known as the Dormroom Demos. Although never officially released, the songs are easily available due to file sharing and online fan message boards.Say Anything Forum: It's the Download Thread Fools! Signing with Doghouse Records (2002–2004) Sometime around 2002, Sayanything added a space to their name to become Say Anything. In late 2002, Bemis and Linder recorded the Menorah\Majora EP and released the album online.Archive.org: SayAnythingMusic.com By this point, Say Anything's releases had generated "a major bidding war." Drive-Thru Records pursued the band and called Max Bemis "the next Bob Dylan."Kelley, Trevor (December 2007), "Live Through This", Alternative Press (233): 164.Staddon, Tristan (March 2006), "Mad Max", Alternative Press (212): 58. Brett Gurewitz of Epitaph Records recorded "A Boston Peace," one of the dorm-room demos, with the band. In early 2003, Say Anything signed with Doghouse Records because they were impressed that Doghouse "put out such obscure, borderline D.I.Y. records as The All-American Rejects."Say Anything biography - by Max Bemis After signing with the label, Bemis began writing songs for his band's Doghouse debut. He and Linder also started the search for a producer. The two met several producers but eventually decided on Tim O'Heir and Stephen Trask. Bemis struggled with different ideas for the record and decided the album should focus on "the artistic struggle, the fact that every creative person has this sick ambition to affect some sort of change in society with their art, to be more than just a guy in a band or a poet or a sculptor." Bemis originally intended the album to be a rock opera with a full script, narration, and a cast of characters. It was tentatively titled Zona! Zona! However, Bemis became overwhelmed by the entire process of writing and playing most of the instruments and had a breakdown.Archive.org: SayAnythingMusic.com|date=2003-04-24 "I literally lost my mind while we were recording," stated Bemis regarding the breakdown. The breakdown centered around a mockumentary discussed by Bemis and O'Heir. Bemis' condition led him to believe he was being secretly filmed for the mockumentary; the situation culminated in him walking the streets of Brooklyn thinking he was being filmed while encountering friends (who were actually strangers).Kelley, Trevor (September 2004), "Crazy Days", Alternative Press (194): 104. After recovering, Bemis decided to focus solely on the music and dropped the idea of a script. Around July 2003, the band began recording ...Is a Real Boy, their first album with Doghouse Records. Bemis said the two people he wanted to "outdo with ...Is a Real Boy were Andy Warhol and Jesus." In addition to working with O'Heir and Trask, Say Anything worked with Forrest Kline (of power pop band Hellogoodbye) to record the For Sale... EP, released in 2004.(2004) Album notes for For Sale... by Say Anything. Doghouse Records. The band also worked with ECA Records to record a promotional album that was never released. ...Is a Real Boy was released August 3, 2004.[http://www.doghouserecords.com/v11/link_releasesDetail.php?detailID=7&bandID=Say%20Anything Doghouse Records page on ...Is a Real Boy] The album featured Linder on drums and Bemis on vocals, guitar, bass, and keyboard.(2004) Album notes for ...Is a Real Boy by Say Anything. Doghouse Records. ...Is a Real Boy received positive reviews, including a 99% from AbsolutePunk.net and four and a half stars (out of five) from Allmusic.[http://absolutepunk.net/showthread.php?t=97070 Say Anything - ...Is a Real Boy - Album Review][http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:369ks31ea3rg allmusic ((( ...Is a Real Boy > Overview )))] When the band began touring in support of ...Is a Real Boy, they picked up Dan DeLauro, Casper Adams, and Kevin Seaton. Say Anything signed with J Records in 2005, owned by Sony BMG Music Entertainment, one of the "big four" record labels. When asked why he signed with a major label, Bemis stated, "We were looking to expand our fan base as well as have more money to tour comfortably. I also wanted enough money to work with an awesome producer for [In Defense of the Genre]." In June 2005, Say Anything was forced to cancel a six-week headlining tour with Circa Survive and Emanuel on the third day of the tour due to health problems with Bemis, including "full-on paranoid delusions" in Austin, Texas.Say Anything Guy Goes NutsKelley, Trevor (December 2007), "Live Through This", Alternative Press (233): 166. At this point, Bemis' bipolar disorder and drug addictions were wreaking havoc on the band. Bassists DeLauro and Seaton had already parted ways with the band. Andy Jackson left in September after only a few months of touring with Say Anything. Adams, who was annoyed by Bemis' antics, was fired by Bemis after a show.Kelley, Trevor (December 2007), "Live Through This", Alternative Press (233): 168. On October 3, 2005, Bemis had another breakdown; this time, it involved harassing children, spitting in food at an outdoor cafe, spending a "half-hour pouring a bowl of soup onto the floor, one spoonful at a time," engaging in a street fight, and finally being admitted to a mental hospital by an off-duty policeman. This incident forced Say Anything to cancel another tour, this time with Bemis' personal idols Saves the Day, along with Senses Fail and The Early November. The band was replaced by Emanuel. After returning from his stay in the hospital, Bemis' mother and the remaining members of the band selected the Menninger clinic in Houston, Texas, to rehab Bemis. Eventually, Bemis approved and he has reportedly not had a relapse since.Kelley, Trevor (December 2007), "Live Through This", Alternative Press (233): 164, 167–168. First headlining tours (2005–2007) Under J Records, Say Anything re-released ...Is a Real Boy with a bonus CD entitled ...Was a Real Boy on February 28, 2006 (although the album was originally slated for release on October 18, 2005 and later January 17, 2006). However, copies were leaked before the release by Tower Records and His Master's Voice, with some copies selling on eBay at inflated prices. According the album's liner notes, ...Was a Real Boy was originally intended as a charity album, but the band dropped the project. This charity project was to be called Vs. AIDS and was recorded in Kevin Seaton's garage. Bemis said that "it was J Records' idea to reissue ...Is a Real Boy. They believe it has a mainstream appeal that wasn't really reached when Doghouse released the record."Mammoth press interviews Max Bemis Around this time, the band also released "Alive with the Glory of Love" as a single. Alex Kent joined the band to play bass after the band met him while touring with Lance's Hero. Jake and Jeff Turner joined to play guitar and help with backup vocals after Adams and Jackson left. Parker Case completed the sextet when he joined to play guitar and keyboard after his previous band JamisonParker broke up. At the time, JamisonParker and Say Anything shared the same manager, Randy Nichols; the band met Case while at a train station on the way to Nichols' wedding.Interview with Say AnythingHotStar Say Anything In summer 2006, Say Anything toured with Dashboard Confessional; Ben Lee was with the tour in the US, while John Ralston joined the tour in Canada. The band was asked to be a part of the Warped Tour 2006, but instead opted for the Dashboard tour. Bemis later made statements implying he did not feel he was emotionally ready for a Warped Tour.Pettigrew, Jason (August 2008), "Warped 2K8", Alternative Press (241): 136. Say Anything completed one of their first headlining tours in fall 2006, when they toured with Piebald and mewithoutYou. Days Away, Brazil and Forgive Durden opened for the band on select dates. In February 2007, Say Anything performed on Last Call with Carson Daly.Say Anything Last Call Studio Audience Ticket Info The band also released their second single, "Wow, I Can Get Sexual Too," which was from the ...Was a Real Boy bonus disc. Also in that month, the band announced a co-headlining tour with Saves the Day and The Almost, John Ralston, The Dear Hunter, and Manchester Orchestra as openers on select dates. The band completed the tour successfully during April and May of that year.WOW, I Can Get Sexual Too DebutsSay Anything and Saves the Day Announce Tour In August, Say Anything announced a co-headlining tour with Hellogoodbye sponsored by MySpace. The tour took place during fall of the same year with shows in the US and Europe.MySpace Co-headline tour with HellogoodbyeNew UK Dates ''In Defense of the Genre'' (2007–2008) In the weeks before the release of their third album, Say Anything released several songs from the album on MySpace. They also announced pre-ordered copies could be ordered with a signed CD booklet. The band released their first single from the new album, "Baby Girl, I'm a Blur", on October 2, 2007.New Song on MySpaceMore New Songs In Defense of the Genre was released on October 23, 2007. It was released in a dual-disc format complete with 27 songs and contained many guest vocals. When asked about the name of the record, Bemis said, "Whatever 'genre' (or music) one loves needs a defense, because half the world is too ignorant to really understand something before they dismiss it." Linder has cited the referenced genre as emo.Interview with Coby Linder Before recording the record, Bemis stated, "I hope that [In Defense] will be more inspiring and uplifting. I want record to be The Joshua Tree with balls on laughing gas."Interview with Max Bemis Andy Jackson, a former member of the band and close friend of Bemis, was responsible for recording many of the cameo appearances. He recorded some cameos while at the Warped Tour 2007 with Hot Rod Circuit and others in his home studio. Jackson recorded vocals from several musicians, such as Gerard Way, Adam Lazzara, Anthony Raneri, Anthony Green, Hayley Williams, Aaron Gillespie, Jordan Pundik, and Chad Gilbert.New Record Out TodayKelley, Trevor (December 2007), "Live Through This", Alternative Press (233): 164, 168. Chris Conley and several others also provided guest vocals.(2007) Album notes for In Defense of the Genre by Say Anything. J Records. Alternative Press called the record "a truly magnificent sophomore effort" and gave it a 4.5/5, while Spin gave the album four stars and Corey Schmidt of PastePunk said, "There are a few really great songs here."A truly magnificent sophomore effort? Guilty as chargedWood, Mikael (December 2007), "Maxl Rose", Spin: 120.In Defense of the Genre Album Review In January 2008, Say Anything announced a US headlining tour with Manchester Orchestra, Biffy Clyro and Weatherbox. The tour took place in March and April of that year.Say Anything to Headline Nationwide Club Tour in Support of New Album After finishing this tour, Say Anything announced a headlining tour in the UK that took place in June. The tour was in support of In Defense of the Genre, which was released in the UK on June 23, 2008.Say Anything Headline Tour in June Say Anything released the video for "Shiksa (Girlfriend)" on April 9, 2008.Say Anything Video Update On April 25, Say Anything performed on Late Night with Conan O'Brien.Say Anything on Conan this Friday During summer 2008, Say Anything joined the Warped Tour for the first time, appearing on all dates. On August 1, 2008, Say Anything announced the Max Bemis Song Shop, through which users could pay $150 for Max Bemis to write a song based on a short writing by the customer. However, by the end of the night, the item was no longer available with the following text displayed on the item listing: "We're sorry but Max can't write songs as fast as you are requesting them. As soon as he catches up we will start again. Thank you so much for believing in our crazy idea."Buy Your Very Own Say Anything Song Written for you, about you, by Max!Max Bemis Song Shop The Song Shop has reopened a few times since its initial launch, and taken down after about a week each time. This aforementioned message has been displayed each time the Song Shop was discontinued. ''Say Anything'' (2009) In an online chat with fans on March 14, 2008, Max Bemis stated that the band has plans to record a new record called This Is Forever. He said it will be "about God and how we relate to Him."Fans Report In: Say Anything AbsolutePunk.net reported on August 1, 2008, that J Records "picked up the option for Say Anything's next release."New Say Anything: Next Year? On November 10, Bemis announced that the focus of the fourth album changed and the new record will be self-titled. He noted that the album, which will be released in 2009, will ask "what the point of all of it was."Say Anything to Release Self-Titled Album Next Year Though Max has explained that he was very proud of In Defense of the Genre, he described it as being more of an "homage to sort of a lot of the bands that we liked and, like, a style that we respected." He then explained that the new album would be "more concise and would be a bit more original, I want to say, and sort of pop out like Is a Real Boy did." He also explained that this CD has both the catchiest and most mature songs they've ever recorded and called it a "step forward." http://inthestudio.sayanythingmusic.com/blog/ During a concert at the College of Saint Rose in Albany, New York on April 25, 2009, Max Bemis proclaimed to the crowd that the newest album titled "Say Anything" is complete, and will be released "early summer," after stating that he was married three weeks prior to the event on April 4, 2009. According to Say Anything's In Studio website, on May 21, 2009, Max posted a blog stating "I just wanted to let you guys know we’re done recording our new record, entitled "Say Anything", and we’re moving into the mixing phase. It should be out this fall. This record is kind of a new start, or at least a new phase in the Say Anything story." Max posted a blog on Myspace.com saying that the new album will be released October 13, 2009, and will be titled Say Anything. The self-titled album will be released by RCA Records and will have 13 tracks, including "Hate Everyone",http://www.altpress.com/news/sayanythingdetails.htm the album's first single. "Hate Everyone" was officially released on August 25, 2009,http://www.fmqb.com/Article.asp?id=16770 after WBRU FM in Providence, RI became the first radio station to debut the single on the 17th.https://twitter.com/maxbemis/status/3366114779 Lead singer Max Bemis also premiered the song "Crush'd," performing the song acoustic in WBRU's studio.http://supjustin.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=335:say-anything-is-crushd The corresponding video for Hate Everyone was released on MySpace Music on September 1, 2009. The new album's release date had been delayed by three weeks and was officially released on November 3, 2009, after being posted to the band's myspace page on October 28. In early 2010, the band announced that they would be opening for Angels and Airwaves on their LOVE tour which kicked off on April 5. Max also posted on twitter on 2/14/10 that the band plans to release "Do Better" as the next single off of the album.http://twitter.com/maxbemis/statuses/9114484381 On August 19, 2010 it was confirmed that Say Anything and RCA Records had parted ways. Max Bemis also announced via his twitter account that big changes were to be announced during the following week. On September 29 it was announced via Say Anything's official website that Alex Kent would be leaving the band, and that Kenny Vasoli of The Starting Line would be temporarily taking over as bassist for their upcoming tour. As of so far no permanent bassist has been selected to replace Kent. It had also been announced that Say Anything will be touring with the bands Motion City Soundtrack and Saves the Day in the fall of 2010. Bemis commented on it on his twitter, claiming that Say Anything's fans might want to come up with their favorite Two Tongues songs, insinuating that the group will play a few songs on the tour. Side projects(2008–present) After recording In Defense of the Genre, Say Anything band members Max Bemis and Coby Linder worked with Saves the Day's Chris Conley and David Soloway on a side project named Two Tongues.Say Anything/Saves the Day Side Project to Debut Summer ‘08 The group features Bemis and Conley sharing lead vocals and guitar duties with Soloway on bass guitar and Linder on drums. Thirteen songs were recorded in Electric Ladybug Studio, Conley's home studio in Chico, California.Zemler, Emily (September 2008), "Two Tongues", Alternative Press (242): 136.Two Tongues Release date Bemis, Conley, and Linder had previously collaborated on a cover song of Bob Dylan's "The Man In Me" for the compilation album Paupers, Peasants, Princes & Kings: The Songs of Bob Dylan released by Doghouse Records in 2006. The group's self-titled debut was released on February 3, 2009.Two Tongues on Vagrant Say Anything band members Jake and Jeff Turner self-released their six-track EP Some Day in May 2008 under the name XO. They recorded it with Matt Malpass in Atlanta in January 2008 at Monsters and Marigolds Studio. The album features both brothers on vocals, guitar, bass, and keyboard, with Jeff also playing drums.(2008) Album notes for Some Day by XO. Around the same time, Parker Case embarked on a solo project named I and the Universe, while Alex Kent started a record label, Gnome Records and began work on his own solo effort under the name Alexander T. Kent. Alex also has a side project with members of Japandi and Witt called Qwermicide. In 2009, Max and his wife, Sherri DuPree (From the band Eisley) formed a small side project named "Perma" and were selling the demo during the 2009 tour. In August 2010, Max announced that he will be releasing a "lo-fi" post-punk album in Fall 2010 under the name "Max Bemis and The Painful Splits."http://www.altpress.com/news/entry/max_bemis_reveals_side_project_release/ Alt Press | Max Bemis reveals side project release Style Themes and influences Say Anything's music falls in the pop punk, emo, and punk revival genres, with most of their songs loaded with guitars and vocals.Say Anything Overview Bemis, the primary songwriter of Say Anything, stated, "I believe that an artist should let his art be appreciated by anyone who's interested and not 'play favourites.'" He also said that lyrics are "based on experience." Thus, many of their songs have simple, similar themes, the most common being love and relationships with women. One lyric in "The Last Great Punk Rock Song" made this clear: "...But most songs are about girl problems." Other themes include distaste with "the scene" and hypocrisy. Drugs are also a popular subject in Say Anything's songs, especially on In Defense of the Genre, which was written and recorded after Bemis' several drug-fueled breakdowns. Specifically, "Admit It!!!" and "Sorry, Dudes, My Bad" include references to Bemis' drug usage.(2001) Album notes for Baseball: An Album by Say Anything by Say Anything. Say Anything's earlier songs also dealt with Bemis' issues in high school and his reluctance to attend college.(2000) Album notes for Junior Varsity by Say Anything. Max Bemis was raised "in a strong Jewish environment." Many of Bemis' lyrics borrow from his Jewish roots. While most of band's earlier songs are free of any such inspiration, the songs of ...Is a Real Boy and In Defense of the Genre include references to Jewish heritage. "Alive with the Glory of Love," Say Anything's first single, has a main subject of a relationship affected by World War II and the Holocaust, while "Wow, I Can Get Sexual Too" includes mentions of "the old shul" and a rabbi's teachings. Two strong examples from In Defense include "Shiksa (Girlfriend)" and "Died a Jew." The title, "Shiksa," is an obvious allusion and the afikoman is mentioned in the song. The lyrics of "Died a Jew" are much more sincere, including several references to the Jewish race and its history along with mentions of "the murder of God" and Bemis' departures from kosher.A Jewish Kind of Pop Song In regards to writing songs for ...Is a Real Boy, Bemis stated, "The songs were jam packed with fairly blatant nods to bands I dig (Queen, Saves the Day, Pavement, Faith No More, Fugazi, etc)." These can be considered some of Say Anything's influences, especially Saves the Day, Bemis' favorite band. Also of note, the band has covered songs by Ol' Dirty Bastard ("Got Your Money"), The Four Tops ("Sure, Baby...Hold Back"), Blink-182 ("Dammit"), Safety in Numbers ("Dealer"), Saves the Day ("Jessie and My Whetstone"), and Bob Dylan ("The Man in Me"). Max Bemis expounded upon the story of In Defense of the Genre as well as the differences between that album and ...Is a Real Boy in an interview with AbsolutePunk.net on June 19, 2007. Live shows In Defense of the Genre is notable for having many guest vocal spots. Because of this, most members of the band sing backup vocals during live shows. Bemis sings the parts he wrote for himself but were sung by guests on the records. Linder is essentially a second singer in the band, providing counter melodies and call and response with Bemis, as well as a few distinct melodies of his own. Jeff Turner sings the higher parts, Jake Turner sings mostly harmonies, and Linder singd the remaining parts.Say Anything takes it outside The band is known to play cover songs — one such song was "Stand Inside Your Love" by The Smashing Pumpkins.[http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/19964071/say_anything/2 Rolling Stone interview with Say Anything] Bemis swings his microphone while onstage and has commented on how he has hurt himself while catching it.[http://www.sayanythingmusic.com/news/max-bemis-interview-in-belnder-magazine Blender interviews Max Bemis] Discography :Main article: Say Anything discography *''Baseball: An Album by Sayanything'' (2001) *''...Is a Real Boy'' (2004) *''In Defense of the Genre'' (2007) *''Say Anything'' (2009) *''TBA'' (2011) Members Current members *Max Bemis: lead vocals, guitar (2000–present) * *Jake Turner: guitar, vocals (2005–present) *Parker Case: keyboards, guitar, vocals (2005–present) *Jeff Turner: guitar, vocals (2005-present) *Coby Linder: drums (2000–present) * *Kenny Vasoli – bass guitar (Touring member) Former members *Evan Span – guitar (2000–2001) *Michael Levin – bass (2000–2002) *Josh Eichenstein (2000) *Austin Vines – bass (2003–2004) *Kevin Seaton – bass, guitar (2004–2005) *Casper Adams – guitar (2004–2005) *Andy Jackson – guitar; tours only (2005) *Alex Kent – bass guitar (2004–2010) References External links *Official website *Official MySpace Category: Bands LTJ have played with Category: Links to Wikipedia